To Leave and to Return
by arKlight.RevIsion
Summary: A completely new take on the hunger games trilogy. Katniss left with Gale before the Reaping. What will happen to Prim? Constructive criticism only, please!


What if Katniss did leave with Gale? What would happen to Prim? A few OC's, but no main OC. Oh, and the story is a 100% different. Enjoy!

Katniss' POV

"We could do it, you know," Gale says quietly.

"What?" I ask.

"Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it,"

says Gale.

"We could…" I gripped my bow tighter.

He takes my hand in his. "Katniss…"

I shake my head. "Gale what about Prim? Your siblings? Our mothers? Who will feed them, Gale? You know very well that all they depend on is us, and add in the fact that none of them can hunt. I think they'd last two weeks tops without us."

I can feel Gale's face inches from mine, listening earnestly to what I just said. Then, out of nowhere, his mouth is immediately in mine, kissing me. I could feel his breath, ragged, his lips, cracked and dry, but I'm sure that mine are almost the same way. But there is something else in that kiss. He was telling me that everything is going to be alright, that nothing else matters now, just the two of us, together forever.

After about a minute, we part, desperately needing air. "Don't think anymore Katniss. Now, it's just the two of us." he whispers, giving me another kiss. Almost instantly, all of my thoughts melted from my brain, replaced with longing. Longing to be with Gale. Longing to be free from responsibility. Just longing to be FREE.

I don't know how much our kiss lasted, but when we broke up, Gale was beaming at me. "Let's just leave, now." I whisper. Taking our bows, and the others that I hid in the woods, we ran away from District 12. Away from the suffering. Away from the sorrowful memories. Away from the Games. And we ran towards freedom.

Prim's POV

"The Reaping is no more than an hour away, where is Katniss?" I ask mother. Like me, she is earnestly waiting for my beloved older sister to return home, so we can prepare for the reaping. She has already prepared her a dress, one from her apothecary days, and laid it on her bed. She is wearing another dress, while I am wearing one of Katniss's old Reaping Day outfits.

"Do you think…she left us, mother?" I ask her worriedly.

She smiles tentatively, and shakes her head. "No, Prim. Maybe your sister was just… caught up in the forest. That is all." Suddenly, a bell rings, signifying the start of the Reaping. Mother stands up, walks to the door, and motions for me to come. "Come now, Prim. We musn't be late." She says.

I hold my ground, refusing to come. "But mother, what about Katniss? We can't just leave her!" She comes and tries to pull me out of the house, but I refuse to budge. "No! I am not leaving without Katniss!"

She carries me out of the house, with me kicking and screaming. Naturally, it draws the attention of some of the Peacekeepers.

"What seems to be the problem here?" A big man carrying a rifle asks.

"Nothing, officer. Just a little family problem." My mother soothingly says.

To my surprise, the officer slaps her, forcefully, with the back of his hand. "It is none of our concern! Now, get to the Reaping, before I do worse things to you." Then he looks at me and adds, "both of you."

We run immediately from the guards, and went straight to the Reaping. Luckily, there were still only a few people around, so the seats weren't yet overcrowded. But, after a few moments, more people arrive. The space gets tighter, more claustrophobic as people arrive. The square's quite large, but not enough to hold District 12's population of about eight thousand. Latecomers are directed to the adjacent streets, where they can watch the event on screens as it's televised live by the state. I am placed by the other twelves from the Seam. We all look at each other before we focus our attention on the temporary stage that is set up before the Justice Building. I strain my eyes to search for Katniss, but to my dismay, she wasn't anywhere.

Just as the clock strikes two, the Mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read. He tells of the history of Panem, the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once North America. He tells of the rebellion of the thirteen districts, the annihilation of District Thirteen, and the bloody beginnings of the Hunger Games. Then he reads the list of past District 12 victors, which is very short considering there were only two. After he reads Haymitch's name, the paunchy, middle-aged drunk steps into the stage and falls on the third chair. Then he tries to give Effie Trinket a big hug, which made all of us laugh.

The ceremony continued, but still, I couldn't find Katniss anywhere. Then came the Reaping itself. Effie Trinket put her hand on the bowl and pulls out a slip of paper. I was silently wishing it was Samantha Brules, a girl from my class, who keeps on teasing me every day. But whom Effie picks is even worse.

It is me.

The called for me to come closer, but I was frozen on the spot. Two Peacekeepers have to carry me to the stage, where I look at the crowd before me. Some are annoyed that a twelve-year old got reaped, some are giving me sympathetic looks, as if it was already my funeral, but considering that I was just picked for the games, it may as well be. But worst of all is my mother. Tears are running visibly from her cheeks, her eyes are puffy, and her mouth is still agape from shock.

"NO! NOT MY LITTLE PRIM! NO! PLEASE! TAKE ME INSTEAD!" she suddenly hollers, running to the stage. But even I know that it if futile. She is over-age, and the Capitol always rejoices when a child is picked for these games.

Effie takes another name, a boy's, from the bowl. Peeta Mellark. He grudgingly steps onto the stage, eyes the stage, and holds out a hand to me.

We shake.

Well, there's chapter ! Tell me what you think, and feel free to ask any question. I will do my best to answer. R&R!


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